These days, brands are becoming more inclusive regarding their clothing sizing. While modern and fast-fashion brands have been jumping on the plus-size inclusivity trend for years, luxury brands still lack in their size range.
However, that is slowly starting to change. While more high-end brands are starting to open up their size range, others are still hesitant.
Does Gucci Offer Plus Size Clothing?
Gucci does not offer extended sizes that would include plus-size options. Gucci’s ready-to-wear clothing line that can be found in stores only goes up to an EU size 46. This is generally a size 10-12 in American women’s wear. A plus-size range will start around size 14 and go up to a size 30.
What Are the Biggest Sizes of Gucci Clothes?
As mentioned, the largest Gucci ready-to-wear clothing only extends to size 12. In America, plus-sized clothing typically begins at a size 14-16, so, by current standards, Gucci clothing will not fit a plus-sized woman.
However, some Gucci items have a larger size range, which may work for plus-sized women depending on your particular size and shape.
One of the most popular items Gucci sells that can also be seen worn by fashion enthusiasts is the signature Gucci belt. This black leather belt features two gold “G’s” clasped together, giving any look a little elevated elegance.
However, the largest women’s size for this belt is a 12. Since it is meant to be worn on the smallest part of your waist, many plus-sized women can still comfortably wear this classic belt.
Another option that some people have noted when it comes to wearing Gucci clothing in a larger size is to shop in the men’s section. The men’s sizing goes all the way up to an XL, most specifically in their shirts, allowing larger women to wear them as well.
What Other Luxury Brands Offer Plus-Size Clothes?
More recently, one luxury brand made waves by being one of the first to feature not only plus-sized clothing but also plus-sized models on the runway.
Versace
In the summer of 2021, Versace turned heads with more inclusive representation in their runway shows and their marketing. However, Versace’s execution was not perfect.
Most notably, while they promoted different bodies through a marketing campaign, they have still to yet complete a full plus-size Versace line, and the only plus-sized clothing they currently offer is a bathrobe.
Dolce & Gabbana
One luxury brand that has managed to walk the walk and talk the talk when it comes to being size inclusive is Dolce & Gabbana.
They were also behind the motivation to get Versace to also become more plus-size friendly.
Dolce & Gabbana offers several off-the-rack pieces that are considered to be plus-size. However, the more high-fashion designs still don’t have a larger size which can be frustrating to those who want to wear more intricate and exclusive designs.
Chanel
It is hard to mention luxury brands without discussing arguably the most popular, Chanel.
In 2020, Chanel came under fire for featuring their first plus-sized model in their spring runway show, which might not be what you expected.
While the move was notable, they failed to follow through on making an actual plus-size line.
More recently, Chanel has widened their size range, and some of its styles are now available up to a size 18, which is far above the standard size 12 for most other luxury brands.
Why Don’t Luxury Brands Include Plus-Sizes?
The most common reason is because of money. Designing for a plus-sized woman is much more than just adding a few extra inches of fabric to a garment.
You have to take into account the shape of the body as well as the curves. Many “narrow-sizes” don’t fit the way they should to be complementary to a full-figured woman.
To extend a size range, you have to design with that specific body type in mind and purchase materials, not to mention the cost of production. Most plus-sized women want to wear luxury clothing; if it is done right, there will be no shortage of customers.
Another reason why some luxury brands haven’t jumped onto the trend of accommodating plus-sized women is that they value their image more than they value extending their customer base.
In the 90s, when luxury brands started to pick up in popularity, the trend of that decade was wafer-thin women who teetered on the edge of being unhealthy. Some luxury brands have had difficulty letting go of the picture of an “ideal woman” and don’t want to muddy their brand by promoting anything else.
However, this is a detriment to the company. Brands, especially clothing brands, need to be able to change and adapt and be aware of the current social climate regarding body positivity.
Does Gucci Offer More Plus-Size Clothes Online?
Shopping for plus-sized clothing online is much better than in the store. However, this does come with its own set of problems.
The biggest problem with looking exclusively for Gucci plus-sized clothing online is that it is a gamble regarding fit and style. Even with measurements labeled online, finding the right fit without actually getting to try the clothing on first is a difficult thing.
So, what does Gucci offer online in the way of plus-sized clothing? Gucci doesn’t have many styles available in a larger size range. However, they currently offer a range of sportswear available in an XXL, which will fit a size 14-16 in women’s.
This ranges from sports bras to casual button-down shirts. Along with shirts and sportswear, some of Gucci’s dresses are now also available exclusively online in a double XL, giving plus-sized women more options when shopping for a luxury brand like Gucci.
Will Gucci Offer More Plus Sizes in the Future?
Back in 2020, many luxury brands vowed to extend their size ranges both in stores and online and showcased this by using plus-sized models in their runway shows. This was done as a way to start promoting different body types in the hopes of becoming more inclusive.
However, like Gucci, most of these luxury brands have failed to deliver on their promises. Not only do most luxury brands still not have a specific plus-size line, but the plus-size piece they carry is also not very desirable.
So, as of right now, Gucci has no further plans to extend its plus-sized line or even start to carry larger sizes in the future.
What Can We Expect in the Future?
Currently, fashion houses are hesitant about plus sizes in because they want to find a way to meet demands while still being profitable companies.
In 2021, Old Navy announced that they were not only extending their size line but would start offering all sizes in all of their stores. This was received well by the body positivity community and all fashion lovers.
However, this movement was short-lived because, in less than a year, Old Navy started to scale back its size ranges citing that they saw a major loss in their profits and blaming their bold move of size inclusivity for this loss.
This caused a ripple effect in the fashion world, where other brands, including luxury brands, started to rethink extending their size range.